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Sometimes, one needs to just take the plunge and do things. Here are 3 things my most unplanned mountain trip taught me.
At crossroads in my life, I went for an unplanned mountain trip. A road trip for 8 days with 4 stopovers, right up to Kinnaur on the Tibetan border, was the first, most unplanned thing in my life. The only thing I knew was the meeting point. Everything else was unknown: Route, journey and the destination.
So this trip happened somewhere in June, around a month after I heard this inner voice that I wanted to follow and make some major career choices. I wanted to address the inner voice, choose a path but years of routine and disciplined life wouldn’t allow me to do so.
There comes a time when we want to invite new adventures and experiences but we are not sure we can handle them when they finally arrive and now with this trip and these voices in my head, it felt like it was stalking me!
I let the voice be and took the plunge to go for the trip. My feelings were on a roller-coaster ride. We had planned the route to be taken, but landed up taking the opposite route pretty much every day of the trip! So to cut the long story short, this was the final route we chose:
Kasauli – Sangla – Kalpa – Chitkul (Tibetan border)
(Check these out online when you get a chance to take your breath away)
Some trips are not just memories but like a little ‘lantern’ that show a tiny opening to a beautiful path that change the ‘why’ to why not’.
So 3 things I learned that I would love to share.
When I realized that on this trip, I have to just enjoy the ride, and make very few decisions because these places were unknown to me and I had very little to contribute, I just let go and it felt really light. It led to sleeping in the car and waking up to the most beautiful sunrise, pure vibes from the temple, and even to a gorgeous snow mountain view right outside my window and I felt nothing less than blessed. I learned, that to experience something beautiful, I have to sometimes let go of the control.
Sangla
Feeling nature, breathing fresh air, tasting spring water was being one with nature. Sometimes we are so caught up in the rat race, that we don’t know what it is to just feel and not think of the day or of our future plans. When we feel, we cut the noises out and can actually hear the inner voice more clearly, which could lead to an inner fulfillment.
Kalpa
While I had been to the mountains, I hadn’t witnessed those parts that are still raw and untouched. I experienced living with just the basic amenities and I was more than fine! Unpeeling layers to expose who one really is, has often been perceived to be scary, but now I consciously make those choices whenever I get a chance.
I came back not only refreshed but also charged with the power of just being. I invited my inner voice to lead the path that was unknown to me. It was the path to pursue my calling as a health and life coach.
My journey has just begun but the energy I try to constantly put into it is the mountain energy, which is fresh, raw and alive.
Sometimes when you are at a crossroad or find yourself in a conundrum, try not to fight it but take a step away from it in a world where you breathe fresh air, eat clean food, live light because it can bring clarity in the head.
After all, we are what we consume!
Eat. Breathe. Smile.
Image source: woman traveller on mountain by Shuttershock.
Few of my favorite things are to wake up to a beach, collect experiences around the world, and ‘google’ just about everything that makes me curious! Born and brought up in Mumbai, I got my read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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